What to do on a Florence day trip during peak travel season:

1.) Send one person in your group to stand in line to see Michelangelo’s David sculpture.
2.) Have the group decide that 3 hours is too long for anyone to wait (even in shifts) to see one statue.
3.) Head to the Duomo (Cathedral), and check out the inside (free).

There is a painting of Dante, standing outside Florence…but the version of the city pictured is what Florence looked like 100 years after Dante was exiled.

The circular stained glass window (directly in the center of the front of the church) was done by Donatello and depicts the Annunciation of Mary.

4.) Climb to the top of the Duomo (8 Euros and) over 400 steps.

It offers magnificent views of the duomo ceiling murals,

And the city itself.

5.) Stand in the square, and admire the church.

6.) Go for pizza with your friends.

7.) Check out the David replica (since it’s free, with no line).

Pretend that you are David

8.) Meet up with the rest of your group, and go for gelato. It’s a necessity. If you go to Festival del Gelato, you can choose from 70 different flavors.

And maybe even you and one of your friends will unknowingly pick the exact same flavor combo. If you get 2 flavors to choose from 70, and there are 10 people in your group, what are the odds of that? Anyone? Michelle? Mark? Troy? Other mathematicians who read this?

9.) Take 37 pictures of your sister.

10.) Go back to look at the David replica, enroute to the Uffizi museum.

11.) Check out the amazing art at the Uffizi

Take no pictures inside…it’s not allowed.

But, you can see things like “The Birth of Venus” by: Botticelli

And Leonardo Da Vinci’s first painting ever. (“The Baptism of Christ” He finished Verrocchio’s painting who died mid-work. Leo did the left, Verrocchio did the right.)

And a naked dwarf.

Among other things.

12.) Head to the bridge. It’s a famous bridge, but I can’t remember the name of it. It’s a good spot for pictures.

13.) Go back to Prato, and catch the last bus home.